Official Resident

Two and a half hours and $400 later my husband and I, and our cars, are officially residents of our new state. Why is the DMV so depressing and hostile? Not only is it not a pleasant looking place, but everyone is so overwhelmed and angry. They make you wait for an obscene amount of time and then charge you a crazy amount of money. Thanks to Kate and Kelley for keeping me occupied with texts!

My two sister-in-laws have birthdays this week. So I made a rich chocolate cake for their birthday celebration.

*Warning: This cake is neither healthy nor good for you, but it does taste good!

Chocolate Stout Cake
from Bon Appetit September 2002
Oven 350

Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

For cake:

Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. (**I made 2 - 8inch round cakes and 16 cupcakes with this recipe) Line with parchment paper. Spray paper.



Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.



Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans.



Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes.



Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

For icing:


Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth.



Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring every 30 minutes, about 2 hours. Place 1 cake layer on plate.



Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. (** I just did a two layer cake and left the rest of the icing for the cupcakes).


*Thank you Kelley for taking this picture, forgot the camera!